Definitions: (1) having or showing good judgment; discerning; (2) accurately discriminating between what is true and what is false; (3) able to decide between what is proper and what is improper; prudent; discreet; (4) able to conceive of a pragmatic solution; common sense; sagacious
Derivations: Sanskrit, “knowledge;” Latin, “to see”
Synonyms: calculating, crafty, cunning, enlightened, erudite, incorruptible
Balancing Quality: Appreciation
Compatible Quality: common sense
Familial Qualities: farsighted, foresighted, prepared
Saying: A word to the wise is sufficient.
Dictums:
• The heart is wiser than the intellect. — Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819-1881) American novelist
• Be you always as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves. — Jesus of Nazareth (7 bc-30 ad)
• God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. — Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) American theologian
Quotes:
• The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms. — Socrates (c. 4th Century bc) Greek philosopher
• Wisdom is better than strength, and a wise man is better than a strong man. — Amenemope (c. 1100 BC) The Wisdom of Amenemope 26:15-16 {Found 1888; Published 1922}
• [Merlin:] The essence of wisdom is to know when to be doing and when it is useless even to try. — Mary Stewart [born Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow] (1916-2014) The Last Enchantment {1979}
Comments:
•Wisdom is the result of balancing positive qualities. It is the ability to contrast opposites and choose the highest possible good. It is also seeing the positive in a muddled and complex situations.
•When one is able to see a broader or a longer view, to encompass a greater quantity of reality, or a purer essence of reality, they possess a fundamental aspect of wisdom. People who have a greater wisdom usually want to share it, and, if possible, share it in such a way that those caught in a constrictive web of their own realities will be able to expand their realities, thus finding a way out.
Observation: It is sometimes prudent to keep your head down; and at other times keep your head above water. But it may be a bit tricky to do both at the same time.
Tip: Even a little bit of wisdom helps. Say you are driving and you notice the person in front of you is going to turn. You get over in the other lane and your progress is not impeded – small wisdom. You look even farther ahead and you take one freeway instead of another. Again, you are rewarded with a smoother trip. The larger your ability to choose wisely, the greater your ability to live as you intend.
Advice: If you can’t reach the heights of wisdom then be satisfied with the dregs of wisdom.
Color: yellow
Symbols: 1) honey; 2) an owl; 3) burnt wood; 4) deep water; 5) the dragon; 6) an elephant; 7) a golden key; 8) a ring of flames; 9) the Hermit (Tarot); 10) the snake (Native American); 11) fruit [from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil]
Legendary Figure: Epimenides, a sage and prophet of ancient Greece, slept in a cave for fifty-seven years; he woke possessing exceptional wisdom.
Mythological Figures: 1) Neith, the Egyptian goddess of wisdom; 2) Sarawati, the Indian goddess of learning and wisdom; 3) Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and liberal arts; 4) Athena or Pallas, the Greek goddess of wisdom and skills; 5) Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom, magic, learning, and the arts; also the measurer of time and the inventor of numbers